Looking back, what were some of the obvious and subtle signs that you were ready to start looking for a new job? Would love to hear your reflections

Other coworkers, who I deeply respected, were leaving. Felt no support from management - despite multiple conversations. Feeling micromanaged, despite being in the role for multiple years and proving that I could make changes as requested.

And the final straw was realizing that the upper management didn't even care if they lost a whole team of 13. We were disposable. Despite a team that had staff with significant longevity in an industry that sees excessive amounts of turn over.

I wasn't excited about the goals, team, anything anymore, work numbed me. My performance went down because of it. Wasn't unhappy either, so took my time to find something I would truly enjoy again. Last day tomorrow and can't be more excited to start something new.

Realizing my job at the time could not pay my rent AND my groceries. I was younger, and thought the "starving artists" trope was literal.

Grouping these by job because fortunately all of these didn’t happen at the same place:

1. My employer had a “we’re a family” culture. For example, my boss berated me for wanting to see friends after an all day mandatory meeting rather than spend even more time with them. The work schedule was unpredictable, always more than 50 hours a week including drive time and sometimes more than 60 hrs a week, and they often required weekend work (for a white collar, salaried exempt job).

2. Leadership oversold a major customer promising to customize an end-to-end technology solution that didn’t exist assuming their parent company would bail them out with funding to build the platform. I was the delivery lead on this account but had no say whatsoever in the pitch. The parent company rejected the proposal, and I was left with less than a tenth of funds needed and a directive to just figure it out. The final straw was when the VP of Ops demanded I double my travel to full weeks every other week to manage the relationship with the customer she lied to land. Big fat nope, I quit, and they lost the entire account at the first renewal.

3. The startup I was working for was running out of runway and couldn’t raise more money after the capital market tanked in winter 2021/2022. The CEO literally encouraged people to quit on an all company meeting, and yet the senior leader in my reporting line tried to dispute my data-based prediction that a lay off was coming. I knew I needed to get out ASAP after the lying and gaslighting from my division head. I left and the company went on to lay off 20% of staff a couple months later as I predicted they would. They also finally fired the incompetent division head this year.

Toxic boss, it was very hard I had not been there very long and was very excited to share all my knowledge as well as learn all the in and outs. Unfortunately when I realized my boss had no interest in showing me support or helping me succeed I knew it was time to leave. She created a very uncomfortable work environment that would give me anxiety. I remember having mini panic attacks whenever I knew I had to be around her for long periods of time because of how nasty her behavior towards others and myself was, I really loved the work because I’m passionate about empowering employees but with a boss who doesn’t care it just not an environment I wanted to be in.

I think one of the more subtle issues is when people smile and say you do a great job, but year over year you miss out on promotions. Maybe hinted at, maybe not.

When you get into more senior roles...there's usually something else going on or someone else preventing you from moving up any further. Depending on who, you might be able to shift in a larger organization or you might need to go.

When you don’t love going to work anymore and when you been with a company for 10 years and people with less experience are getting promoted because they don’t know the company’s policies.

When I started getting serious anxiety on Sundays / the day before I had to go back to work after a holiday. That’s when I start looking casually to see what’s out there

You know what’s so wild about this post? The number of responses. Will we ever be happy at the workplace? I feel like businesses are missing the mark. 😔

When my boss didn't speak to me or check on me for 3 whole weeks.

I should have seen the red flags from the beginning but I was eager to get supervisory experience… 3 team members left before I started with an additional 1 shortly after I began, disorganized manager who would offer false promises and never meet them. For example, i would never leave you to do x, y, z for the first time by yourself, or without guidance, but then the day comes and he is nowhere to be found. Lack of formal training, especially from a leadership perspective. Multiple managers leaving other offices.. existing managers picking up to slack to cover 2-3 offices but then overworking themselves. Staff mistrust of leadership and constant push back with initiatives due to lack of consistent follow through in the past. I could go on… final straw was when I had a panic attack and ended up in the ER because I had convinced it was a heart attack.

When I no longer want to go to work

For me it was when good leadership started leaving the company

When my job no longer serves my professional growth. Once I have completed what I set out to do, I am not willing to put up with toxicity, I am there for experience and a paycheck. Jobs are not all that we are, as I get older less and less of my personal conversations involve work. I realized it’s not my whole life. I am not an emotional person but if a job every made me feel like crying, or actually cry, my notice would follow promptly. We spend a large majority of our life at work and people say love want you do, I am pretty sure that no one loves being away from their families, deadlines, corporate America shenanigans, so I say do something that you can find some joy in. And remember friends, in the words of my loving husband, “you were looking for a job when you found this one, it always works out”.

Not being happy

I was solving the same problems over and over again. Could have done my job with my eyes closed. I was building skills in areas I wasn't interested in.

When they cut my pay to "promote" me and gave me an hour ride to a new location.

Then she called me 8 hours before my shift started to tell me I was late, and followed up with "you're being incompetent and rude"

10 years at that company and I don't regret walking away that day.

I didn't play the drama game. And I was socially ostracized from the company completely. But what I want to do the president of the company he said no wait I have a meeting I have to go to as I'm sitting in tears. It wasn't for a client it was for another department and I just left. The company shut down approximately 3 months later.

I have been doing some research on newfound jobs in my arena

I knew it was time to leave when my boss of two weeks told me in a group meeting in front of my previous boss of three years and my peer that I would no longer report to him but now to my peer who was being promoted.

I was working under my nursing licenses recently. I hold a license in mortgage finance and nursing. I decided enough was enough when my trainer started talking to me reckless, was watching fox network and Charleston tucker I’m my presence and I determined that her style of training was to challenge me, withhold resources and processes, critique the work I submitted, but refused to provide me with proper guidance.

Surviving in a bully organization and developing cancer due to the toxic mind games.